Picasso said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”
In truth, hardly few can keep the child alive with growing age. But why is it important to keep the child kicking when experience of many years piles up like a mountain in the backyard of life? Well, the answer is in the very reason we do anything at all.
Many artists keep looking for an answer to a million-dollar question throughout their career. 'What is the style or content wanted by the market?'
And this is a self-defeating question because no creative act is possible with sincerity in response to external motivation. It narrows down the focus, whereas creativity demands broader outlook of life. Painting a canvas because someone would pay a couple of lakhs necessarily ruins the originality and novelty of the creation.
The objective gets splintered into two parts - making money and painting the canvas. A true artist or for that matter, any truly creative person writes or paints being driven by just the internal drive to express. Compromise has no room in this.
And when a child paints, she does it for pure pleasure. It is a natural intrinsic motivation that propels the young hands navigate on the canvas or paper. There is complete honesty and passion in action in her expression. This is why PIcasso said that the child must remain alive when one grows up as artist.
The exhibition conducted by Yellow Canvas at Kamalnayan Bajaj Art Gallery, Mumbai, between 12th to 14th April '24 is a wonderful initiative to present the world an exposition of paintings by children. Yellow Canvas, founded by Sohan Kumar Choudhary, an artist of repute, is a link between aspiring artists and their educator as well as the prospective art collectors. Sohan Kumar Choudhary conducts many activities related to art such as art Classes, workshops, art shows, camps for all age groups. He also pursues the mission to connect young artists across the globe with the folk and tribal arts of India.
This exhibition is particularly interesting for another reason. Technology in particular has caused havoc change in our lives over the past two decades. The earlier generations were subjected to a moderate change in lifestyle and culture due to hardly few technological disruptions whereas in the past two decades, we have moved from red letterboxes to fax to email to WhatsApp. Internet created global citizens at every nook and corner of the world irrespective of the physical address. The sphere, the modern kids live in, is not just few kilometers in circumference, but encompasses the entire world. Their outlook of life is not decided by the parents or elders living in the house but by the wider world they are exposed to through the window of internet.
Hence, like every other quarters of life, creative expression too will undergo radical change. After all, art is the reflection of society all the time. And that is where children's art is of extreme relevance. Paintings by children are leading indicators of the life of tomorrow.
There is one common aspect running like a common thread through all the paintings in this exhibition. Each painting comes with bright contrast of colors. In several paintings there is a blaze of light bursting through the sky. Each painting exudes optimism and energy. It shows that the future is shimmering with passion and resolve.
One other curious aspect stands out. Twenty years ago, a child usually tried to paint objects or people in realistic manner. But most children in this exhibition went much deeper beyond the skin. In fact, some of their artworks bordered on surrealism!
Such freedom of imagination and courage to break the familiar form and settings came so naturally to these children!
Each painting is a testimony of wonderful and sincere expression. We feel, this particular show must not be missed. This view of the world seen through pristine eyes is a rare glimpse into the world of tomorrow.
We are glad to mention the name of the child artists below.
Aaryansh Modi, Ariha Romin Mehta, Devam Modi, Hetvik Gupta, Ivaan Sancheti, Izyan Haseeb Musani, Tarushi Lodha, Armaana Lodha, Kabir Kurien, Luchkin Leonid, Anvay Shah, Raisha A. Gandhi, Reyansh Nanavaty, Ruhan Sancheti , Smera Sanghvi, Alishka Salecha, Amaira Jalak Desai, Annirudh Karkee, Kimaya Padhye, Partth Partik Jain, Savir Pavan Modi, Yug Ami Anand Pande, Aariv Sanghavi, Anaaya Deep Shah, Burhanuddin Mufaddal Umrethwala, Hasan Khan, Kriday Garg, Mitansh Nilay Vakharia, Naevah Mehta, Anuriti Singh, Eva Kunal chandawalla, Mahee Kothari, Maishaa K. Patel, Mysha Manoj Jain, Riaana Shah, Satvik Subrotho Rana, Shanaya Kothari, Tanush Jani, Tashi Amit Gorwara, Aarav Jain, Aarya Viral Shah, Aum Desai, Dhyana Kothari, Nathanael Suganth, Nishi Bhavin Shah, Rianna Patel, Rishvika Ankit Solanki, Samaira P. Shah, Sanvi Ashish Khedekar, Shriya Mehta, Viraat Hingu, Vviyaa Ritesh Jain, Aalia Kacheria, Aarav Dave, Aditi Kothari, Ahaan Rishi Mantri, Aisha Kothari, Anaya Meghani, Dravya Vardhan, Kanishk Deshmukh, Nandini Ram Mohan, Nisreen Sanchawala, Swara Yogendra Kokate, Tarasha Tidke, Vivaan Shah, Vyom Goenka, Aamena Lokhandwala, Anay Aadish Shah, Ayaana Agarwal, Daksh Hiral Jogani, Dhriti Viral Dave, Dishita Sehgal, Havyn Ankit Parmar, Himnish Kashyap Mehta, Hufriya Cherag Italia, Kahaan Rathi, Owee Vinayak Hendre, Sanjana Viresh Valmiki, Vedika Dodia, Vivaan Siddharth Purav, Vritti Prem Avichal, Aarya Sharma, Dwisha Mehul Maniar, Natasha Kalpesh Rathod, Nithya Sharad Avhad, Nysha Pavan Modi, Riddhima Singh, Vedant Himanshu Ghela, Vyomi Rahul Mehta, Ananya Subrotho Rana, Manav Gorakh, Meghana Bhat, Pritika Shah, Taksh Gagan Kothari, Srisha Mota, Arman Saud, Maanya Parikh.
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